Tewkesbury Borough Council has secured the support of Homes England to finalise the design of the new bridge over the railway north of Ashchurch station.

The bridge will unlock development opportunities in the Garden Communities area, and in giving a safe new crossing over the railway, will enable the closure of the dangerous level crossing, a national priority for Network Rail.

Grant funding from Homes England will enable the council's Garden Communities team to complete the work to finalise the technical elements of the bridge.

The plans will then be passed to the North Ashchurch Consortium who will rethink the design, whilst ensuring it meets Network Rail's technical requirements and then bring forward a co-ordinated planning application showing the bridge as part of the sitewide plan.

Councillor Richard Stanley, leader of Tewkesbury Borough Council, said: "The Garden Communities charter has nine principles, not least of which is that it should have 'a strong identity and character of place', so it's great that we will have a new look and feel for the bridge.

"Feedback from the community on the original design was very important and an understanding of our great landscape is key."

The grant was offered in December 2024 to provide the sum of £89,500 to commission the work to complete the designs which are anticipated to be ready in Spring 2025. Councillors will need to approve a decision to accept the grant at their meeting today (January 28).

The designs will then be included in a planning application for the northern area of the Garden Communities, which will include a new Central Street through the site. The application, which will be submitted by the North Ashchurch Consortium, is anticipated in 2025.

Tewkesbury Borough Council previously identified a patch of land adjacent to Hardwick Bank Road where the potential Central Street may connect to the existing network. The council's executive committee recently voted to allow officers to discuss the future of the land and its potential to support the development.